As warm weather approaches, it’s a good idea to tune up your home’s air conditioner. Here are some tips that should help save money and extend the life of the cooling equipment follow.

The outdoor unit of the air conditioner contains a condensing coil, a type of heat exchanger which depends on large quantities of air flow to dump heat outside your home. Keep this equipment clear of tall grass, leaves and other debris. Do Not enclose the outdoor unit with solid fencing or dense shrubs, or place the unit under a deck. Provide at least 2 feet of clearance on all sides of the equipment and 5 feet of clearance at the top. Be certain that a clothes dryer is not vented within 10 feet of the outdoor unit. The lint from the dryer will cling to the condensing coil and lower the efficiency of the equipment and its service life.

The condensing coil should be cleaned every year or so. This cleaning is usually a part of a regular service contract. The coil is easily accessible and must be chemically cleaned. If the fins in the heat exchanger are bent, they should be straightened with a Air Conditioner Fin Comb.

The indoor coil, or evaporator coil, is located inside the air conditioner cabinet. All the air from the home flows across this coil to be cooled in summer. When air conditioning, the indoor coil is damp, attracts dirt and can harbor mold and other contaminants. A dirty indoor coil endangers your family’s health, wastes energy and cuts the capacity of the cooling equipment. Dirty indoor coils are notorious for reducing the air flow through the equipment. For each 10% reduction in air flow, the efficiency of the equipment drops about 5%. Reduced air flow means less cooling and makes it difficult to maintain a house’s comfort in hot weather. The coil should be cleaned every few years, depending on how often the system operates, the efficiency of the filter at trapping dirt, and the airtightness of the ductwork. Leaky ducts often draw in dirt which can accumulate on the indoor coil, so seal the seams in your home’s ductwork. Indoor coils are often dirty because they are hard to reach and therefore seldom cleaned. The coil should be cleaned with a All Purpose Appliance Cleaner and a soft brush.

To get the most out of your air conditioner, for the least cost, operate it efficiently. Start with the air conditioner thermostat. A higher setting saves money. Try keeping the room air temperature at 80 to 85 degrees and using ceiling and room fans to circulate the air to maintain comfort. Each degree you raise the air conditioner thermostat can save up to 5% on cooling costs. Any time you will be away from the house for a few hours, be sure to raise the air conditioner thermostat setting. You will save money and it should only take a few minutes for the cooling equipment to bring the temperature back to a comfortable level after you return.

Over 20% of your air conditioning bill can be due to sunlight streaming through unshaded windows. Keep window curtains drawn during the day to block sunlight. Keeping east and west windows shaded is particularly important as they get the most sunlight in summer. Solar shade screens are another effective way to shade windows. These fiberglass insect screens have a special weave that blocks sunlight. They can be installed in standard screen frames and must be placed on the outside of the window glass. The shade screens are a little darker than conventional insect screening. Some people appreciate the increased privacy they offer.

Reducing moisture levels inside the home can save on cooling costs and improve comfort. Air conditioners dehumidify the air as well as cool it. Much of the excess humidity inside the home comes from humid outdoor air leaking inside. Sealing unwanted air leaks, such as around holes for plumbing and wiring, helps lower interior moisture levels and reduce air conditioning costs. For some houses, air leaks can contribute to over 30% of cooling costs.

One easy way to determine if your air conditioner needs a tune-up is to check the difference in temperature between the air exiting the supply ducts and that drawn into the return ducts. You will need an accurate air conditioner thermometer for the test and to operate the cooling equipment for at least 15 minutes when the outdoor temperature is above 80 degrees. While the unit is running, measure the temperature of the air at a return and a supply register. These registers should be the ones closest to the inside cooling equipment. The temperature difference should be between 14 and 20 degrees.

If the temperature outside a room where the air conditioner is located becomes cool, approximately 60 degrees or lower, check the coils on the front of the air conditioner to make sure they are not icing up. If they are, turn the air conditioner off until the temperature starts to rise. Make sure your filter is clean.

The greatest amount of energy usage and wear and tear on your equipment occurs at system start up. Once started, it takes 10 to 15 minutes before your system is operating at peak efficiency and performance. Because an oversized system will often bring the temperature down to the thermostat setting in just a few minutes, your oversized system will never get to operate at peak performance and will end up "short-cycling" starting and stopping over and over again. This will prolong the life of your air conditioner.

Replacing your air conditioning filter regularly will not only improve the efficiency of your air conditioner but may even prolong its life. When you do not replace your air conditioning filter, dirt, dust and grime block the flow of air, forcing it to bypass the filter and carry dirt directly into the evaporator coil. Because the coil is the part of your air conditioner that absorbs heat, you want to keep the coil clean to keep it functioning smoothly and to prevent your compressor and fans from failing.